The Yummiest Izakaya in Irvine

X-Fish Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$

"I am shocked that this place gets such high reviews. Maybe it's because people are comparing it to other AYCE sushi experiences. At $27.99 per person for lunch they cannot be serving high quality fish and still turn a profit. Food: The actual sushi/fish offerings are average at best. If you order any of their rolls it wont matter though. Because they will over sauce it to cover up the fact the fish have no natural sweetness. Their Tonkatsu ramen was very bland. Completely lacked the richness characteristic of a Tonkatsu broth, and the marinated pork had no flavor. Service: The restaurant was roughly 80% full yet it still took 15 minutes to get my first order of sushi. You certainly do get what you pay for in life. At this price point, it's possible that I'm expecting too much."

Mori Izakaya

★★★★★ 4.5 (452) • $$

"Cute Japanese izakaya vibes!! Came for my cousins birthday. Good variety of food options for those that love Sushi, skewers, apps, meats, & more! Staff were kind and friendly. Wasn't a long wait if you get here at opening quickly filled up on a weekend though. Would definitely come back and try more food. Uni pasta & rib eye cap steak were my faves!! Also ordered the gizzard, spicy pork, scallops, eggplant, and salmon belly's"

Okidoki by Meiji

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"Everything was yummy. Service was great. You can make a reservation online.It's a little tight with all the tables close to each other, so unless you"

KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya By Kei Concepts

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"Large, spacious, and classy but casual interior. We had a 30 minute wait for a party of 2 on a Thursday night. HAPPY HOUR MENU- tom kha chashu ramen ($12): 9.2/10. SO GOOD !!! rich, delicious, and creamy. heavy but not too heavy that you get sick of it. so flavorful. RECOMMEND.- crispy calamari ($10): 7.2/10. pretty normal. Very yummy spicy mayo sauce that comes with it. Could have used a little more sauce and a lime/lemon on the side. Not a must.- hokkaido scallop crudo ($12): 9.0/10. DELICIOUS AND FRESH. i LOVE scallops. the yuzu sauce/marinate they serve the scallops with is SO GOOD and complements the scallops perfectly.- 3 set yakitori skewers ($10): 6.8/10. The chicken thigh and sausage skewers were pretty mediocre. Nothing special. However, the scallop skewer was DELICIOUS. I would just order the scallop skewer to be honest but each skewer is much more expensive when bought individually and not in the happy hour set."

Huntington Ramen & Sushi

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"Decent alternative to Kensho. I like that they have a huge variety of options for vegan sushi/ramen, but it's hard to choose what to get because they seem pretty similar. The volcano tempura had good texture/flavor, but the vegan crunch was underwhelming. There is a call button on each table, but the servers are not responsive to them and were probably in the process of being trained. They do have a lunch special (buy one roll get one 50% off) and offer complimentary ice cream."

Izakaya Hachi - Costa Mesa

★★★★☆ 3.9 (503) • $$$

"Chris is such an amazing server! Very attentive, we never needed anything because he was always on top of it all! 10/10 customer service alone! Now the food was so fresh definitely great quality!!! Was my first time and I'll definitely be back for more! Everything tasted sooooooo delicious and fresh! Nothing smelled or tasted fishy. Overall 10/10 would recommend. The pressed salmon was the tables favorite but not mine. Not to say it wasn't good, everyone loved it. I'm just not a fan of seared/warm sushi. I like it cold and raw!!! I wouldn't order that again but I'm pretty sure the others would! See photos for reference :)"

Izakaya Takasei

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"If you like Japanese beer, this is the place! Service was quick and attentive. Ambiance was very authentic."

ETCetera Sushi & Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.4 • $$

"This place has nice service and good food. I like this place to meet with work friends as it is not too loud to talk with others. This time I started with the spicy tuna on fried rice cake - so good. Next up was the sashimi. All was good except the yellowtail - it was off. I should have just returned it but they were busy. I would likely just stick to the salmon and tuna sashimi. Rolls are good and creative. I especially liked the Fresh on Bristol (wrapped in a cucumber). I will back but no yellow tail."

Kappo Honda

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"This is probably one of the best local spots for authentic Japanese food! I wish I could come here more often but there's usually always a wait, and for good reason. The sushi is always fresh, the ambiance is nice, servers are very attentive, and everything here is reasonably priced! My favorite thing to get is the Nabeyaki udon. I love udon (I used to work at an udon restaurant) and theirs definitely does not disappoint. They really fill up the pot with ingredients (chicken, fishcakes, veggies, tempura flakes) so you'll be full, and it's only $14! If you want to avoid the wait, make sure to come on a weekday before 6pm. It's definitely worth the wait though!"

Meiji Seimen

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"Have been looking for a go to udon spot! Diiiing Diiing Diinnnng!!! We have a winner! I have been trying to go to this place but every time I always miss the time frame to go as they have 2 opening times! Mon-Thurs: 11:30AM-2:00PM, Reopens 5:30PM-9:30PMFri-Sat: 11:30AM-2:00PM, Reopens 5:30PM-10:00PMSun 11:30AM-2:00PM, Reopens 5:30PM-9:30PMI finally was able to go with my fiancé and this place did not disappoint AT ALL! I got the Curry beef udon bowl with medium spice and that is exactly what I was looking for when I go to get curry anything (it needs to have spice)(my opinion)!! It was a 10/10 packed with flavor and you don't get tired eating it, I highly recommend that you also order a side of their fried chicken and literally is THE BEST I have had! Pairing it with the curry, just the best of both worlds! The Kitsune udon was so clean and refreshing, the broth was so flavorful and not too strong, 10/10!! The tempura that we also ordered was fried and cooked perfectly, satisfying crunch, shrimp not overcooked, and the tempura sauce was delicious as well!! 10/10! The only thing that was okay was really the fried squid legs as they were nice in crunch but the squid was pretty tough to chew 7/10, great flavor though with the lemon! The service was extremely fast as well, they have a system that literally has you in and out of their quick! All the servers make sure that you are well taken care of! It is a small establishment so make sure to plan ahead and get there early as it can get really busy! Ambiance just made me feel like I was back in Japan and so that is also a 10/10!If you want more space they do have a second location you can try out (okidoki by Meiji) but for me the original will always be the best! TRY THIS PLACE TODAY!!"

Gokumi Ramen & Yakitori

★★★★☆ 4.4 (298) • $$

"Cute little japanese restaurant with good vibes and tasty food. The yakitori menu is limited to such places as hondaya but its good. I feel like the smaller menu allows them to concentrate on quality rather than quantity. The tonkatsu ramen was very good. Parking lot is small but i havent had trouble finding a spot. The interior is small. 4-5 tables and bar seating. So make ressie. It gets busy during rush hour. Service was impeccable. No complaints. Attentive and very friendly."

Aburi Japanese Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$

"Service was amazing.Great deal for the lunch special 12.99 with 4 different rolls!Reason for the star missing was that the rolls were super basic and presented a bit sloppy during this visit.If still come back though"

Sagami

★★★★☆ 3.5 (545) • $$

"A long time friend and I had dinner at the sushi bar at Sagami, Irvine, CA last Saturday night and it was just simply amazing food and service in my view.My friend speaks Japanese, eats here regularly, knows the chefs, the menu and exactly the pace to dine at so i was in great hands. Sagami is a small restaurant with a handfull of tables in the dining area and maybe ten seats at the sushi bar and we were never forgotten or overlooked by staff. The waitress and chefs get an A+ from me in all categories. The restaurant appears to be very clean also. We had appetizers of Sunomono (Japanese cucumber salad), shrimp tempura, a squid dish (the name escapes me) and then began eating numerous pieces of sushi. In between sushi we split a steamed salmon. The unagi, ikura, anago, hamachi were my favorites. We finished off with a futo maki handroll and desert. My buddy had green tea ice cream I think and I had the lightest thing they had...flan.This place is top notch in my book."

Izakaya Ichie

★★★★☆ 4.3 (527) • $$

"Izakaya Ichie is the perfect example of a hidden gem izakaya being tucked away in the far end of The Source away from all the shops. We discovered the place after waiting too long for another restaurant and decided to come once we saw there was no wait. Their menu is a mix of fusion items, sushi, omakase boxes, rice dishes, noodles, and cold and hot items. They have a standout list of sakes to choose from, as well as beer, soju, and soju cocktails. Nonalcoholic drinks included milk teas, regular tea, and soft drinks. My friend ordered a beer and a fun Strawberry Jasmin Tea that came with fake light up ice cubes inside. Bulgogi Fries (5/5): One of the fusion items that we all devoured. I'd highly recommend ordering this! The cheese, bulgogi, and crispy thick cut fries were the perfect combination for a shareable appetizer.Chirashi Don (3.5/5): Thin pieces of fish were served, but the sushi rice tasted great. There was still a good variety of fish though and the presentation of the bowl looked neat.Such a fun spot to enjoy late night food and I love the vibrancy of the restaurant to eat and chill at! I'd definitely come here on any occasion, and I like its unique spot in the shopping plaza."

Izakaya Osen - Irvine

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$

"Came here to celebrate a birthday! The inside of the restaurant is beautiful -- clean, modern, elegant and with lots of Japanese zen elements. I admired the private room design we were placed in as a larger party, and the extra holiday decorations when you first walk in.Everyone was super professional but also friendly and warm. They were pretty busy today but our servers remembered our different requests (eg for hot water instead of cold water, etc) and followed up whenever they could. They even let us bring in our own cake and serve it on their plates after they cleaned up dinner! I really want to highlight and compliment this restaurant for their amazing service and just being so kind to accommodate our large group! Food-wise, everything here is pretty solid. Their Kushiyaki selection is delicious (we tried chicken gizzard, chicken thigh, lamb, and bacon wrapped shrimp). The lamb was a real standout! The chicken thigh is a solid safe choice as well. The tempura and eggplant appetizer (sorry I forgot the name) were also good! Also can't believe how creamy the Creamy Nagasaki Udon Nabe was -- really great depth of flavor and plenty of clams and oysters along with vegetables in this soup. Apparently they don't use any dairy but cook bone broth to get this creaminess! We also got two hot pots that I forgot to take pictures of, but they were really good! One was unagi and the other was blue crab. We all really enjoyed both. Unexpectedly, the sushi was not their strongest in my opinion. Still delicious and perfectly good to eat, but not my favorite I've eaten. The toro we had I was expecting to be super melt in your mouth soft and fatty, but, while it was indeed fatty, there was also a layer of some tough to chew parts (idk if it was sinew or what the correct terminology is) -- we had to chew on that long after the toro meat/fat was already eaten. Overall, was a really nice evening out to celebrate with loved ones!"

Takaya Yakitori Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.2 (389) • $$

"Honestly don't understand the hype. You need to call and make a reservation as they don't take walk ins. The restaurant is small but half the tables weren't filled the entire Friday night we were there.Parking is a legitimate nightmare here, almost to the point where it's not really worth it to eat here.The yakitori was pretty good but nothing mind blowing. We order a plethora of different skewers, but definitely do not order the beef. It's tough and chewy. Everything else was decently tender and flavorful. Would recommend getting the ones with sauce over salt.I believe there's only one waitress and one cook, so service was understandably on the slower side.I think it's worth a try, but personally wouldn't be back for all the hoops you have to jump through."

Katsumura

★★★★☆ 4.3 (363) • $$

"Simply AMAZING!Amazing is the simple and only way I can describe this restaurant. The servers are friendly, helpful, and welcoming. The ambiance reminds me of some restaurants you will find in Japan, which I've personally been and can attest to. Last but not least, the reservation process over Yelp is a stellar way to stake a claim on some seats and avoid the wait.Everything from the Chicken and Beef Katsu to the seared ahi sashimi was a winner! The drink list was impressive with many drinks you would find served at restaurants in the Land of the Rising Sun. From the Whisky Highball, to the Calpis Sour. Lastly, the dining experience here did not break the bank or fracture the wallet. Cheers!I will absolutely be coming back here again soon!"

Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining

★★★★☆ 4.3 (950) • $$

"this place literally feels like a izakaya in japan! I love the decor and it felt like I walked into japan LOL! they have SO MUCH little trinkets and it keeps my eyes busy! the service is also great too!!!the quality of fish was amazing! maybe the best salmon sashimi I've ever hadddd arguably!! the place is pretty tight and the wait can be long so get on the waitlist early! we went on a Friday night so that may be the reason for the crowd!!Here's what we got!salmon sashimi: 5/5 SOOO FRESH AND BUTTERY!! i loved it fried squid: 5/5 so crispyyyy beef sukiyaki bowl: 4/5 a little bit on the sweeter side for me but once everything is mixed, it was more balanced! comes with a poached egg ;)) purple yam fried: 5/5 I've never had purple yam fries before so I was pleasantly surprised!!Overall i give this place 5/5 for the food, service and ambiance! So much fun!!"

Munchie-Ken

★★★★☆ 4.2 (177) • $$

"Solid ramen, black garlic and miso are both solid options. The bowls are on the smaller side, but the flavors are there. They have a good lunch combo where you get ramen and a mini rice bowl/sushi roll/karaage/potstickers. Liked the Karaage but didn't really enjoy the gyoza. If you're nearby and want some good ramen, Munchie is a good option."

HONDA-YA Tustin

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"Super yummy! Never fails! Service is great! Always attentive. Don't let the line fool you, it always tends to go much faster than it says it will be. Small but traditional. They have booth seating, table seating, and they also have floor seating which they call Zashiki seating. They did send me the wrong food order HOWEVER I ate it anyway and I LOVED IT! They attempted to fix the mistake as soon as they realized it, however I did not allow them to, and I kept the meal which I was very pleased with. This please is a must try if you haven't already!"

X-FISH Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$$

"Excellent AYCE sushi place. This X-FISH is located at the former Sapporo building in Koreatown (Buena Park). So, I've been to the Brea location a couple times. Now I come to this one which is close to my home. It's AYCE which offers Lunch X-FISH which is only available on the weekdays (except holidays) from 11-2pm, Dinner (Signature or Omakase options). I normally go for the signature option which is $39.99... not too bad for quality and cost. Drinks are extra.One of the best things I love getting is those bluefin tuna which you're limited to get just one (2 pieces) if you get the signature option. That's ok, there's other sushi to get like sake salmon, maguro tuna, hamachi yellowtail, etc.For more choices, you can use scan the menu via iPhone or Android phone. Check out the classic rolls, deep fried rolls, appetizers, tempura, and more.For the sushi and rolls I usually get.... bluefin tuna, salmon roe, smoked salmon, sake salmon, yellowtail, lobster rolls, salmon rolls, and more.Like I said, their goodies are sooo delicious. Heavenly good. Wish I could get one of each item on the menu, but unfortunately, my stomach is not big enough for it. Plus there's a charge for leftover, so be careful. Order what you like, but eat everything you order.Service here is amazing. Very friendly here.Overall, if you like going to a upscale sushi place and it's AYCE, this is your best bet.Thanks for reading!!!5 stars!!!"

Sushi Club

★★★★★ 4.8 (35)

"First time and the food and service was great jasmine was our sever she had amazing service she recommended the yellowtail jalapeño roll, it was delicious will be back"